“The Hell of the North” is one of the best nicknames in all of sports, and it’s reserved for the Paris-Roubaix race. This is the third Monument of the cycling season and it goes down Sunday, April 9. We’re previewing the one-day race in this article, plus offering our best bets to win the Paris-Roubaix so stick with us!
First things first, let’s look into the current Paris-Roubaix odds. Across all the top betting sites, these riders are favored most in the field to come out on top in Paris:
| Rider |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wout Van Aert | +325 | +325 | +325 |
| Mathieu van der Poel | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Dylan van Baarle | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Mads Pedersen | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Christophe Laporte | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Yves Lampaert | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
You probably notice one name missing above — Tadej Pogacar. After winning Flanders last weekend, he’s forgoing this event to focus on other competitions looming (like the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands the week after). So the usual “Big Three” becomes “Big Two” this weekend.
2023 Paris-Roubaix Preview
This is a hellacious race, as hinted in its nickname. Let’s quickly preview what lies ahead at the 2023 Paris-Roubaix, which will help level-set our picks. All in all, the race stretches 54.5 kilometers of cobbles over 29 sectors.
Contrary to the name, the competition actually doesn’t start in Paris. Instead, it takes off in Compiegne — which is 100 kilometers north of the French capital. Though, the most famous part of the race is toward the end. Arenberg’s cobble-stoned path starts with 95 kilometers to go. This is seen as the toughest stretch where leads can go to die.
Most of the track is unchanged from years prior. However, there is a new cobbled section at Haspres à Thiant with 117 kilometers to go. There are a few road works too, but honestly, we don’t anticipate these modifications being game-changers. Most of the race route remains intact.
In 2022, Dylan van Baarle notched the victory here, giving the Dutch cyclist the highlight of his career. He won quite comfortably too, beating out runner-up, Wout van Aert, by almost two minutes. This time around, Van Aert is the betting favorite while Baarle is in third as seen in the odds at the top.
Betting Picks To Win 2023 Paris-Roubaix
The difficulty of Paris-Roubaix also makes it wildly unpredictable. Get this, the last 11 editions of the men's race have seen 11 different winners! Knowing this alone, do you think it’s a smart strategy to make only one pick on the 2023 Paris-Roubaix winner? We sure hope not. We advise dropping multiple bets and here’s exactly who we have in mind for that:
Favorite Pick
Neither Van Aert nor Van der Poel has ever won here. If they do in 2023, they would continue the streak of a new annual winner at this race. Among the two, you have to side with Van Aert. This race is made for the Belgian. Paris-Roubaix isn’t really about explosiveness, it’s more about power and relentless grit — which Van Aert has an abundance of.
Plus, Van Aert is off to a sensational 2023. This year, he’s claimed victory in the E3 Saxo Classic and placed on the podium twice (Gent-Wevelgem and Milano-Sanremo). We feel confident backing Van Aert here.
Darkhorse Pick
Sitting at +2500 odds, we absolutely love the value of Matej Mohoric. The Slovenian crashed out in Flanders a week ago so most bettors are overlooking him. Despite the accident, Mohric appears to be healthy going into Sunday.
Like Van Aert, Mohric is well-suited for the hell that awaits. He’s tough and not afraid to go at it alone if need be. A year ago at Paris-Roubaix, Mohric finished fifth overall so we know he has what it takes to compete here. Again, you can’t beat +2500 odds for a competitor like Mohric so we’ll take that any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
How To Watch 2023 Paris-Roubaix
If you’re in the United States, the easiest way to watch the 2023 Paris-Roubaix is through streaming. There’s the Global Cycling Network which offers a GCN+ streaming option. For less than $10 a month, you can buy a subscription that unlocks access to live events and original content.
The one thing we’ll say about Sunday’s race is that it’ll be on super early for US-based viewers. Obviously, there’s a huge time-zone difference between America and France which causes that less-than-ideal viewing experience. But hey, it’s cycling, and the most hardcore followers are already used to that.
How To Bet On 2023 Paris-Roubaix
The only thing else you need to bet on the 2023 Paris-Roubaix is an actual sportsbook. But guess what? We’ve listed the very best ones in the industry below. Per our newest sportsbook reviews, each of these sites is rated as an industry leader so your money is in good hands no matter where you choose.
We should also mention, the cycling season is still young. There will be loads more betting opportunities the rest of the way so picking a bookie now will serve you well in the long run. For a full list of cycling betting types, hit one of the links underneath!
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